Lessons from Pearl Jam

 

Eddie Vedder at Fenway P
Eddie Vedder at Fenway Park

Pearl Jam Weekend

If we are friends on Facebook, you know that I spent the weekend chasing Pearl Jam around Boston.  When Franny (the hubby) and I heard that they were playing Fenway Park, we were on a MISSION to soak up every second of them, and we did just that.  We are so blessed that we got to go to both shows and a special replay of one of the concerts on their night off.  It was incredible.  Many of our friends joined us at the shows and we were all transported back to the early 90s when PJ first raged onto the scene and became the soundtrack of our youth.  For three days we pumped our fists in the air, sang at the top of our lungs, and smiled at each other as we reveled in the unadulterated joy of it all.

It was so much more than a couple of concerts, it was living deep in the present moment, it was letting go of current worries, and jumping up and down along with 33,000 other people in a state of total euphoria.

The Monday morning after this glorious weekend, I felt so full of life and couldn’t help but to take a moment to reflect on all that had happened.  There were particular moments during the shows that stood out to me and I realized that there were some real lessons to learn from these guys, so I thought I would share….

Story:

At one point during the show, Eddie was telling a story and made a snarky comment about one of the political candidates.  A song later, he paused and said he was sorry for making that comment, that he was not there to divide us and that they only way the world will improve is if we come together.  He said he was truly sorry.

Lesson:

Always be humble and admit when you could have done better, even if you are one of the biggest rock stars in the world.  Always strive to be your best self.  Be kind with your words and bring people together, not apart.

Story:

In the middle of the song Sirens, which includes the line: “it's a fragile thing, this life we lead, if I think too much I can get overwhelmed, by the grace by which we live our lives with death over our shoulders” Eddie stopped signing, clearly a bit emotional and said that he had to share how grateful they are for all they have and that they get to still do this.  He mentioned that when they were in their 20s, they didn’t really have much to lose, but now life seems so much more precious and that we need to hold onto it and be grateful.

Lesson:

Perspective and gratitude, if you don’t have any, time to go out and find some.  Take inventory of all that you have in this life, even if things seem tough for you now, there is always something for which you can be grateful.  And it is true, as we all get a little bit older, our perspective changes, so let us never lose sight of how precious this life really is.

Story:

And finally, my fitness tracker logged over 22,000 steps between the two shows and I never left my seat.

Lesson:

Never underestimate the power of listening to your favorite music and bouncing up and down for three hours straight….

And another note on perspective, boy am I grateful that 25 years after I first started thrashing around to PJ’s music, I can still rock out along with them like a champ.

Thank you, Eddie, Jeff, Stone, Mike, Matt, and Boom.  What a hell of a weekend you gave us.

Comments

  1. Mom

    I am overjoyed and grateful that you and Fran got to have this AWESOME experience and that even at a ROCK CONCERT the Universe speaks to us. Love life!!!

    1. Jan Taylor

      There are lessons to be learned EVERYWHERE and often where we least expect them! Love you!

Comments are closed.